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Rory McEntee says he was desperate to return to the UAE despite Iran's missile and drone strikes in the Middle East.
13:25, Wed, Mar 18, 2026 Updated: 13:25, Wed, Mar 18, 2026
Rory McEntee says Dubai is safer than London (Image: Rory McEntee/LinkedIn)
A gym boss has said he was "desperate" to return to Dubai from the UK despite Iran's attacks as the city felt "safer than London". Rory McEntee, 43, lived in the capital for 17 years but moved to the emirate with his wife and two-year-old child last year.
The Chief Marketing Officer at GymNation was in the UK when the US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, prompting retaliatory Iranian missile and drone strikes on Gulf states. He was unable to get his return flight to Dubai on March 1 after the chaos led to airspace closures across the Middle East. Mr McEntee said he was trying "desperately" to get the first flight back.
He told the Daily Mail Dubai is "safer than London" and said during his visit to Britain he saw two phone muggings in broad daylight.
The businessman said a female pal asked him to walk her home from a London Underground station because she didn't feel safe.
Mr McEntee said there were men wearing balaclavas "whipping" by on e-bikes, adding "it was no way to live".
He told the same publication he raised £660 in donations after setting up a fundraising page to buy another ticket to Dubai.
The gym-goer wrote on GoFundMe that despite "scaremongering" among parts of the media and some holidaymakers, he would feel "safer in Dubai" than in London.
Iran is targeting Gulf states' energy infrastructure as well as US military bases in the region (Image: Getty)
Missile alerts have continued to sound almost three weeks into the conflict, which has also seen Iranian attacks on Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Israel.
Prime targets have included US military facilities as well as energy infrastructure and desalination plants in the Gulf region.
While life in Dubai appears to have carried on in the face of the attacks, at least four people have been killed and over 100 injured in the Emirates.
Prior to the war, Dubai was an oasis of stability in the region, celebrated for its sunny weather, relative safety and status as a tax haven.
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Since March 3, more than 7,000 people have returned to Britain from the United Arab Emirates. The Government has also flown Brits who wanted to leave out of the region.
Mr McEntee said he received no help from the Government which he said felt "strange", having paid taxes in the UK for 17 years.
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